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At The Picket Fence with Vanessa Hunt

Where Ideas for your Home Meet Inspiration for your Heart

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March 11, 2017

Narrow is the Gate

I stood there watching him. I hadn’t intended on doing it but as I was walking past my front window I caught a glimpse of him and my concern, and frankly my curiosity, got the better of me.

I had seen him walking through the neighborhood many times before this and often wondered about his story. He was young, maybe in his early 20’s and always walked alone, slowly, carefully, sometimes with a faltering step and often talking to himself. Once I had passed him when I was out walking too and my wave and friendly greeting was only met with a blank stare and no reply.

But today, today something was happening.

He had stopped on the sidewalk across the street, obviously unsure about what to do. In front of him there were trucks blocking the driveway of a house. Our neighbors were having some work done and the construction trucks had taken over, spilling into the street. His path was completely blocked. On one side of him, the street. On the other side of him, trucks. I was mesmerized. What was he going to do.

After what felt like an eternity, he took a step forward and then slowly, carefully he began winding his way around the trucks, and up onto our neighbor’s driveway. He carefully stepped over trailer hitches, turned himself sideways to squeeze past huge mirrors jutting out and at one point was even right up against the garage door as he maneuvered through the maze of vehicles before finally coming back onto the sidewalk.

I was stunned.

In my mind, it would have been SOOOOO much easier to simply step off of the sidewalk into the street and shimmy around the trucks before getting right back on course.

But he chose the harder route. Why? Why on earth would he go to all of the trouble?

As I watched him slowly walking out of sight, it dawned on me. In all likelihood, he had been told to avoid the street. To stay on the sidewalk at all costs. I can imagine someone, a parent maybe, giving him clear instructions about where he could walk. So, when faced with the decision, he took the longer, more difficult route out of obedience.

I turned from my window and continued with my day but what I had just witnessed was never far from my thoughts. That young man could not have known that what he did had so deeply touched my heart.

Matthew 7:13-14 says, “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the way that leads to life, and only a few find it.”

I’m prone to claustrophobia. Tight, narrow spaces can cause me to have a full blown panic attack complete with sweating and hyperventilating. You don’t want to see what happens when I get zipped into a sleeping bag.

I like wide, open, non-confining spaces. They are so much easier to navigate and you don’t have to really guess what might be lurking around the corner. But, in the above passage, we are told that the way that leads to freedom in Jesus Christ is actually small and narrow. It sounds so counter-intuitive, doesn’t it?

But, when you think about it, most things about being a Christ-follower are counter-intuitive.

The wide and broad way, the way our world encourages us to follow, is really appealing. For one thing, that way is more populated…and more popular. There’s less accountability and the promise of feeling more freedom. The concepts of denying self, acknowledging sin, repenting and accepting the sovereignty of God are not really applauded in our culture.

In our humanness, we recoil against pain and suffering. We look for the easy way, the short-cut, to accomplishing things. We equate freedom and life with having nothing that feels too restrictive,  too confining.

And yet, being a Christ-follower means we choose the harder road. We see the open field on one side but choose the winding, narrow path on the other side instead. And we have faith that no matter what problems we encounter on that path, we will trust that God is with us in it. Because this is where we find true freedom, true life. Life that goes beyond the confines of this earth. Life eternal.

I think about that young man encountering the trucks blocking the easier way and his decision to take the narrow, winding, difficult path to get around them. I imagine him going home and being asked if he had stayed on the sidewalks and proudly being able to answer yes. Yes, he was obedient even though it was harder. Yes, he could be trusted to go on a walk again because he made the right choice. You see, there is actually freedom in obedience!

When I was a little girl we took a trip to Silver Dollar City theme park in Branson, MO. One of the attractions there is the Marvel Cave. The whole theme park was actually built right around the cave! I will never forget the feeling of descending into the darkness. We had to walk down a steep, narrow path and I could feel the rocky walls beginning to close in on me. From time to time, our guide would even have to call out for us to duck our heads so as not to whack them on rocks that were jutting out. And just when it felt like we had been walking forever; just when it felt the most narrow and the most dark; just when we were starting to get really weary from navigating this path, we turned the corner and found ourselves awestruck as we gazed at this enormous room. Everywhere we looked there were stalactites and stalagmites. Lights had been installed and they reflected off of these formations creating the most beautiful colors on the walls. There were pools of water in a shade of aquamarine I had never seen before and waterfalls flowing from upper levels.

That long, winding, damp trek had been so very worth it. The descent into darkness had revealed light…and life!

My prayer for you friends, is that you will look at that narrow path with the small gate as an opportunity. It’s an opportunity to experience the kind of freedom that our souls are longing for. The wide and broad path of the world promises us a freedom that is fleeting and temporary. But at the end of the narrow path, there is hope and peace and life everlasting.

I’m choosing the narrow path. And in spite of the hardships, in spite of the challenges and the fears and the times that can feel as dark as the journey down into a cave, I wouldn’t trade a single minute of it.

17 Comments Filed Under: Faith, Good Thoughts Tagged With: Faith, God

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Comments

  1. Gwen says

    March 11, 2017 at 6:07 PM

    Hi. I truly enjoyed today’s post. I actually forwarded it to someone in my women’s Bible study group for she had felt some bloggers she followed for what you do were not truly Christ followers of the Word. I don’t know if she will “connect” but I believe this is such a great tool to use for the great Commission. Sharing the Gospel message and giving diy and decor tips for free. It’s a new tool and you’re like a missionary of sorts. Thank you for putting your faith in as part of your blog.

    Reply
  2. Michele (Finch Rest) says

    March 11, 2017 at 6:20 PM

    Amen, sister – this is so well written and so awesome and so RIGHT.

    God bless you as you navigate through your narrow path.

    May the wind always be at your back.

    Hugs.

    Reply
  3. Pamela says

    March 11, 2017 at 6:22 PM

    Great post!!

    Reply
  4. Julie K says

    March 11, 2017 at 6:24 PM

    A beautiful post. It follows a Lenten sermon my Pastor just gave. It is a hard path, but it is the only path we should choose. Thank you for the reminder.

    Reply
  5. Gail says

    March 11, 2017 at 7:10 PM

    So true, the more that enters your path or your thoughts the more chance there is to stray. Keep your eyes and heart on the prize.

    Reply
  6. Jacqueline MacGregor says

    March 11, 2017 at 8:39 PM

    Vanessa, you never cease to bless me. I really needed to hear that today. May God continue to bless you and may He continue to shine His light upon you. In Christ….Jackie

    Reply
  7. Valarie Sanford says

    March 11, 2017 at 8:52 PM

    Beautiful, thank you for sharing!

    Reply
  8. Janet says

    March 12, 2017 at 5:00 AM

    Beautifully written. I thought it was a prologue to a novel.

    Reply
  9. Gail says

    March 12, 2017 at 6:10 AM

    Thanks for starting my Sunday with such beauty. Have a blessed day!

    Reply
  10. Pamela says

    March 12, 2017 at 6:29 AM

    Love this!

    Reply
  11. Carol Reddin says

    March 12, 2017 at 2:34 PM

    Beautiful visual reminder of the narrow path. Thank you!

    Reply
  12. Wendy Johnson says

    March 12, 2017 at 2:37 PM

    Nothing to add, just want you to know that I felt moved, blessed, again by one of your writings.

    Reply
  13. Rose L. says

    March 12, 2017 at 2:44 PM

    Well written! We do have to try to not do the easiest thing to get to our goals and maybe end up without the outcome we had hoped.

    Reply
  14. Kathleen Grace says

    March 13, 2017 at 12:04 PM

    Wonderful post. So well written and so on the mark. Thank you .

    Reply
  15. Ann pauley says

    March 13, 2017 at 6:24 PM

    Dear Vanessa,
    Well said and u also needed to hear that
    Today.
    Thank you fir sharing!
    Ann p.

    Reply
  16. Rebecca Turner says

    March 15, 2017 at 3:09 PM

    A good word!

    Reply
    • At The Picket Fence says

      March 15, 2017 at 3:57 PM

      Thank you Rebecca!

      Reply

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Happy first day of Autumn!! 🍂 Here’s a super Happy first day of Autumn!! 🍂 Here’s a super simple centerpiece that you can make in five minutes (or less) with just a few pumpkins and extra faux greenery. Let’s spend less time decorating and more time enjoying this season. It’s my favorite!! 🧡

#fallcenterpiece #falldecor #centerpiece #fiveminutedecorating
"Define your day", she told me as I held my newbor "Define your day", she told me as I held my newborn son. My mom and I were talking about how blurred my days and nights had become and how easy it would be to just stay in my pajamas 24/7. She encouraged me to make an attempt to put on 'real' clothes in the morning even if they were just nice sweatpants (bonus if they were clean!) and to throw a little bit of makeup on. That simple advice helped chart a course for my years of motherhood that continues today. And recently I began thinking about how critical it is that we not only seek wisdom from those ahead of us in our stage of life but that we are willing to apply it as well.

So, I asked this question on my personal Facebook page; "What is something you feel you've done well to create a peaceful/meaningful home for yourself and your family?" The catch was that the question was geared towards women in the 40+ age range. The responses came flooding in and were so wonderful and insightful. So, I'm going to be starting a new series where I share this wisdom with you and will include the first name of the woman who offered it. 

Today we start with Alison who said "I learned to set my alarm early to get up and moving before my kids woke up. I showered, got dressed and did my devotions while the house was quiet. It set my heart and perspective for each day.”

Is this something you do in your life too? What wisdom would you offer to a mom of young children?

I truly think our culture would greatly benefit from more women in different seasons of life being willing to invest in each other. 🍂

#wearthehomemakers #homemaking #motherhood #parentingwisdom
If bread pudding is on the dessert menu at a resta If bread pudding is on the dessert menu at a restaurant I’m definitely ordering it! It’s one of my all time favorite treats. So I decided to try my hand at making some here at home with a little fall twist and it was SO delicious!! 🍎

Ingredients:

6 slices of day old bread (french, sourdough or even brioche works great)
2 cups of heavy cream
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon bourbon (optional)
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
For the apples:
3 peeled and chopped apples of a tart variety
1 cup brown sugar
3 tablespoons flour (or corn starch)

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350
Cut bread into cubes and place in a greased 8 1/2 x 11 baking dish
Whisk together in a bowl the eggs, cream, vanilla, rum, cinnamon and nutmeg and then pour it over the bread cubes. In a separate bowl, mix together the apples, brown sugar and flour/corn starch. Pour the apple mixture on top of the bread mixture making sure to spread the apples evenly across every part of the bread mixture.
Bake for 45 minutes. 
Enjoy!

#falldesserts #breadpudding #fallrecipes #desserts
When one kiddo wakes up not feeling well after onl When one kiddo wakes up not feeling well after only a week of school, you take the opportunity to make Saturday a truly restful day. Pancakes on the griddle, puttering around the yard admiring the way the limelights have begun their autumn journey from white to green to pink. Sprinkling touches of fall around the house a little bit at a time. Savoring the slowness of it all and taking care of my people in this place that provides us all with a respite from the world even if just for a day.

Hope you’re weekend is off to a great start and that you make it a priority to slow down for a bit and soak up the beauty around you. 🍂

#wearethehomemakers #homemaking #falldecorating
As summer slips into fall, I can’t help but thin As summer slips into fall, I can’t help but think about how grateful I am for the reminders all around me of God’s Sovereignty over everything including the seasons. It can be challenging in our world today to trust that there isn’t a single thing happening that surprises Him.

In a way, decorating my home to reflect the changing season serves as a tangible reminder of this trust. Even something as simple as seeing a pumpkin on my mantel or a basket of mums on the coffee table fill me with peace because they represent the things that remain constant and true.

“The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever.” Isaiah 40:8

#wearthehomemakers #homemaking #club31women
I’m never.going.back to stressful, time-consumin I’m never.going.back to stressful, time-consuming seasonal decorating. When I think back on the years where I would feel all of the pressure to come up with something fresh and creative I’m seriously embarrassed. Truly. Because it was such a waste. A waste of my time, my energy, my resources. Something clicked with me a few years ago. I was just done. I needed to simplify. I needed to not spend an obscene amount of time looking at fireplace mantels on Pinterest and trying to figure out how to make mine look amazing. I needed to put it all in the proper place in my heart and my mind. Which meant, it had to go waaaaayyyy down on the priority list. So far down it almost wasn’t on it. And I needed to confess to the Lord that I had allowed it to become an idol. 

Yes, I want to have a home that I enjoy. Yes, I love pretty things. But something really amazing happened when I finally released it all. When I decided to not give into the pressure and panic I would feel when I would scroll through my Instagram feed. When I just laid it all down and said…enough. There was this incredible irony in it. Because, the less time I took to decorate my home for each season, the more I found myself loving the results. I think that all along I had just been getting in my own way. It’s really taken a lot of time and prayer for me to finally be at a place where even though I still struggle with insecurities and I still have doubts from time to time, I’m becoming increasingly more confident in who God created me to be. And, just like my home, I’m finding that as I relax into myself, letting go of the comparisons and the pressure, the more I can actually lean into the calling He has placed on my life. 🍂

Leave a comment if you can relate! 

#wearethehomemakers #homemaking
“As the alluring song of September begins to whi “As the alluring song of September begins to whisper in my ear, my passionate spirit yearns for the splendor of its promise.” (Peggy Toney Horton)

Happy September dear friends! While I’m not quite ready to let go of summer and I plan to make the most out of the lingering, warm days, I’ll admit to starting to think about my fall decor this year. And one way to get inspired is to take a look back at previous years. Here’s just a glimpse at some of the ways I’ve welcomed Autumn to my home! 🍂

#september #falldecorating #falldecor #falldecoratingideas #wearethehomemakers
Labor Day weekend might mean that we’re turning Labor Day weekend might mean that we’re turning the corner and getting closer to fall but I’m not quite ready to let summer go. So I’ll just be over here continuing to whip up some super simple summer meals for my family that frankly can be enjoyed in any season. These shrimp rolls I made the other night were definitely a hit and would be great for any of your upcoming holiday weekend gatherings!

Shrimp Rolls 🍤

Ingredients
1-2 lbs of shrimp that is peeled, deveined and tail off (If using frozen make sure it’s thawed completely)
1/3 cup mayonnaise 
1/2 of a lemon
2 Tbsps chopped scallions
1 Tbsp chopped dill
1 Tbsp chopped Italian parsley
1 Tsp of Old Bay seasoning (more if you like!)
pinch of sea salt and pinch of black pepper
Hoagie Rolls
Softened butter

Directions: Gently pat the shrimp with a paper towel to remove any excess moisture. Roughly chop the shrimp and place in a bowl. Add mayonnaise, squeeze half of lemon and stir to combine before adding in the scallions, dill and parsley. Stir to combine and then add the additional seasonings. Spread butter on hoagie rolls and toast in the oven until lightly browned. Pile on the shrimp mixture and enjoy! 

#shrimproll #foodie #weeknightdinner #easydinner #seafoodlover
Today has been a very Monday-ish kind of Monday. W Today has been a very Monday-ish kind of Monday. We woke up to the sound of chainsaws and rushed downstairs to find that our backyard neighbors were having two of the huge trees that line our shared fence removed. These trees have been here longer than the neighborhood and no, they weren't dead or causing damage to roofs, foundations, etc. They were beautiful and gave us wonderful privacy. We had no notice of this happening so this came as quite a shock. Because we were given no notice, we didn't have the chance to cover our outdoor furniture or plants and everything is now coated in a thick layer of sawdust including the fresh bark we recently put in the garden beds. And now our lovely privacy is gone, replaced by a direct view of an above ground pool and RV. I know, I know, it's totally a first world, privileged kind of problem to have. But, now we have to spend thousands of dollars on plants to try and recapture some semblance of privacy. Now we have days worth of clean up to do after we had JUST done a massive freshening up of our backyard. My overarching feeling has just been weariness at the way our world is today.

I think about how often we try to do right by people, to be respectful and courteous. To be thoughtful and considerate. And it’s not reciprocated. How its starting to seem more and more like people have just given up on those seemingly small niceties. And my soul just feels heavy. Because I feel like so much of what used to be common courtesy is not so common anymore. Drivers on the roads are angrier and more reckless than ever before. Red lights being run are an everyday occurrence around town. On our recent family vacation, I heard more people using the F word out in public than ever before even while around children. Where are manners? Where is kindness? I'm finding myself being surprised when someone is thoughtful because it seems like a rarity. And that's just all on a micro, local level. Don't even get me started on the insanity in our world/culture. After I returned from grocery shopping (which can also be soul crushing), I found myself desperate for a reminder of the truth. 

*Part 2 continued in the comments.*
How often is it in our lives that we don’t fully How often is it in our lives that we don’t fully grasp our strengths or our weaknesses until we are put to the test? Little did I know how much I would love my role as a wife, mother and homemaker until I became one. And that in my endeavor to do those roles to the best of my ability, it would bring to the forefront gifts and talents and blessings that I use outside of these walls.

As I water others, I’m watered too because it brings such joy to care for those around me. But it can also make me see more clearly the areas in which I’m lacking and be a very humbling reminder of how much I still need to grow and learn.

Proverbs 11:25 says, “Whoever brings blessing will be enriched and one who waters will himself be watered.”

Have you done any ‘watering’ of others this week? How has it blessed and ‘watered’ you in return?
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